Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their own story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they voiced optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
